Table unit mountable on a bed frame



Dec. 1, 1970 e. POFFERI 3,543,312

TABLE UNIT MOUNTABLE ON A BED FRAME Filed Aug. 7, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 1, 1970 5. POFFERI TABLE UNIT MOUNTABLE ON A BED FRAME SSheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1968 //Vl E/V 70/6 MA/VKAHO Raf/75w United States Patent O 3,543,312 TABLE UNIT MOUNTABLE ON A BED FRAME Giancarlo Potferi, Pistoia, Italy, assignor to Ital-Bed Costruzione Letti e Alfini S.r.l., Pistoia, Italy, an Italian corporate body Filed Aug. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 750,915 Claims priority, application Italy, Aug. 12, 1967, 4,137/ 67 Int. Cl. A47b 23/00 US. Cl. -332 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A table unit for a bed includes a support assembly supporting a table top on the frame of a bed. The support assembly includes two couplings each operative for rotation in a pair of mutually perpendicular planes. The couplings are so arranged that the bed table can be supported with its working surface facing upwardly above the bed or supported below the bed with its working surface facing downwardly.

The present invention relates to tables for beds and in particular to adjustable supports therefor.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved bed table which can be readily adjusted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bed table which can be readily concealed below the bed when not required.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bed which can be readily adjusted to numerous positions and locked securely in each position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a table unit arranged to be mounted on the frame of a bed comprising a table top having a working surface thereon, an upper support assembly, first universal coupling means mounting said table top on said upper support assembly for relative rotational movement in two mutually perpendicular planes, a lower support assembly arranged to be mounted rigid with a said bed, and second universal coupling means mounting said upper support assembly on said lower support assembly for relative rotational movement between two mutually perpendicular planes, whereby relative rotation of said table top and said upper support assembly in respective pairs of planes can move the table top between a position lying under the bed with a working surface face downwards to a position lying over the bed with the working surface face upwards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 to 4 show perspective views of a table in different stages as it is moved from a position of use to a concealed position;

FIG. 5 shows a perspective fragmentary view of the table of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a cross-section taken on the line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate local sections taken respectively on the lines VII-VII of FIG. 6, VIII--VIII of FIG. 7 and IXIX of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 shows a cross-section taken on the line XX of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 11 shows a cross-section taken on the line XI- XI of FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A frame 1 having a longitudinal side 1A supports a bed net, on which a mattress 3 rests. A stirrup 5 is secured to the side 1A of the frame 1, by welding or in any other suitable manner. A plate 7 (FIG. 10) is secured to the stirrup 5 by screw means 9 or other means which enables easy removal of the plate 7 (see FIG. 10). The plate 7 integrally carries a downwardly depending rod 11, on which a member 13 is journalled. Bushes 11A are interposed between the rod 11 and the member 13. The member 13 which is rotatable about rod 11 extends laterally of the rod 11 and has a frusto-conical cavity 13A therein forming a housing for a corresponding frustoconical extension 15A of a member 15 which is rotatable about the common axis of the cavity 13A and of the extension 15A. The support 15 and its extension 15A are traversed by a shaft 17, which also passes through a bore of the member 13 which houses the rod 11. The shaft 17 is integral with a prismatic head 17A. The prismatic head, which is housed in a correspondingly shaped cavity 13B in the member 13, is provided with a hole through which the rod 11 passes. The head 17A is allowed limited movement in the direction of the axis of the rod 17. The shaft 17 includes a screw threaded end 17B with which the hub of an operational lever 19 which can be urged against the support 15, is screw-threadedly engaged. The member 13 is held in axial engagement with the rod 11 by means of a lower nut 11B and a friction washer 11C, which allows the member 13 to be angularly moved around the rod 11, by an amount allowed by a pin 7A of the plate 7 co-operating with an abutment on member 13, so as to define two angular limit positions of the member 13. The support 15 can rotate about the axis of the rod 17 and of the housing 13A, the latter rotation being advantageously limited to movement between two limit positions defined by means of a shoulder 13C. The angular position of the member 13 with respect to the rod 11 and the angular position of the support 15 with respect to the member 13 may both be locked by means of the lever 19 urging the head 17A against the rod 11 and the extension 15A into the housing 13A.

The support 15 carries a tubular rod 21 on the end of which there is mounted a sleeve member 23, which is locked to the rod 21, for example, by screw pins 25. The member 23 includes a portion external to the tubular rod 21 having an outer frusto-conical wall 23A and which ends in a screw-threaded portion 23B. The portion of member 23 external of the tubular rod 21 includes a series of longitudinal slots 23C which make the extensions defined thereby flexible, to enable them to be urged inwardly by elfect of an operational clamping sleeve 27, which is screwed on the threaded portion 23B and which has a hollow frusto-conical surface arranged to co operate with the extensions defined by the slots 23C. Within the tubular rod 21 and the sleeve member 23, there is mounted a second rod 29, which slides telescopically into the tubular rod 21 and in the sleeve 23. Although the rod 29 may slide, it is prevented from rotating with respect to the tubular rod 21 by the presence of a pin 31 which engages a slot 29A of the rod 29. The rod 29 can be blocked in any axial position by operation of the clamping sleeve 27. The pin 31 could be identified with the screw pins 25, with an appropriate movement of the slot 29A.

A core 33, which is integral with rod 24, forms a linkage wing 33A having a rim of teeth 33B formed on the circumference of a circle having a securing pin 35, at its centre. A block 37 is secured by the pin 35 to the core 33 to allow the block 37 to rotate about the axis of the pin 35. The block 37 can be locked in any one of a plurality of predetermined angular positions, with respect to the core 33, by means of a toothed key 39 slidably housed in the block 37 cooperating with predetermined ones of the teeth 33B. The axial sliding of the key 39 can be controlled by a knob 43 having-a shaft 41 with a screw threaded portion 41A which engages the key 39. By operation of 3 the knob, it is possible to locate the toothed end of the key 39 to be urged into engagement with the teeth 33B, in any desired predetermined angular position of the rod 29 with respect to the block 37 A sleeve 45 is mounted over the block 37 for angular rotation thereabout. The sleeve 45 is integral with a bracket 47 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 6) onto which is secured a table surface or plane 49. By means of a pin 51, which slides in an arcuate groove 37A in the block 37, the possible angular travel of the table 49 with respect to the block 37 is restricted. Any desired angular position of the table is stabilized by effect of friction, due to the action of a friction washer 53 which is urged into contact with the table 49 by means of an adjustable clamping nut 55. In a modification, not shown, the items 49, 47, 45 may be formed in a single piece of moulded synthetic resin. In a further modification, not shown, the table 49 may be of glass, and a core formed by the members 45, 47 is arranged to take the place of the clamping nut to act on the friction washer 53.

The table 49 mounted as herein before described can perform a plurality of different motions; it can rotate about the axis of the block 37 and of the shaft 41, which lie perpendicular to the plane of the table 49; it can rotate about the axis of the pin 35 which axis lies parallel to the plane of the table 49; it can move along the axis of the telescope unit formed by the rods 21 and 29; it can rotate about a substantially horizontal axis defined by the shaft 17; and it can rotate about a substantially vertical axis defined by the rod 11. With these possible motions some of the movements allowed are illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, by means of which the table 49 above the bed can be adjusted into different positions and inclinations while also permitting the table to be concealed below the bed.

When the table is in its operative position as shown in FIG. 1 it can be moved about the axis of the shaft 41, to displace it away from the bed (FIG. 2). Thereafter the table and the assembly including tubular rod 21 can be rotated about the axis defined by the shaft 17 (FIG. 3). Finally the assembly including shaft 17 can be rotated about the axis of the column 11, to bring the table 49 under the bed. It should be noted that in the latter arrangement (FIG. 4) the working surface faces downwardly and thus is protected against the fall of dust, liquids and the like.

I claim:

1. A table unit adapted to be mounted on a horizontal frame member of a bed, comprising a table top having a working surface thereon, an upper support assembly, first universal coupling means mounting said table top on said upper support assembly for relative rotational movement of the table top with respect to said support assembly through a first angle of at least 180 in a first plane parallel to the table top on a first axis perpendicular to the table top to turn the table top toward and away from the bed, and through a second angle of at least 90 in a second plane perpendicular to the table top on a second axis parallel to the table top to invert the table top partially, a lower support assembly, mounting means for securing said lower support assembly on said frame member of the bed, and second universal coupling means mounting said upper support assembly on said lower support assembly for relative rotational movement of the table top through a third angle of at least 90 in a vertical plane on a horizontal third axis which is perpendicular to said bed frame member to complete inversion of the table top, and through a fourth angle of at least 90 in a horizontal plane on a vertical fourth axis perpendicular to the third axis to dispose the tabletop, upper and lower support assemblies and first coupling means entirely under the the working surface facing downwardly.

2. A table unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said upper support assembly comprises a first rod, a second rod, and means interconnecting said first and second rods for axially aligned mutually telescopic movement.

3. A table unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising clamping means for locking the table top in any selected position between and including said first and second positions.

4. A table unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said lower support assembly comprises a rod secured to said mounting means in an axially vertical direction, said rod serving as said vertical fourth axis of rotation.

5. A table unit as defined in claim 4, wherein said second coupling means comprises a first tubular member extending normal to the axis of said rod and mounted for rotation around said rod, a shaft extending through said tubular member and having a head portion engaged therewith for rotation around said rod, a second tubular member mounted for rotation around said shaft, and clamping means mounted on said shaft and adapted to urge said rod, first tubular member and said second tubular member together.

6. A table unit as defined in claim 5, wherein said clamping means comprises a locking lever engaged with said shaft.

7. A table unit as defined in claim 6, wherein said first coupling means comprises a block pivotally mounted on said upper support assembly, sleeve means rigid with said table top and surrounding said block for rotation around said block, and locking means extending through said table top and said block to lock said block against pivotal movement with respect to said upper support assembly.

8. A table unit as defined in claim 7, wherein said block and said upper support assembly have mutually interfitting parts engaged by said locking means to enable said block to be locked with respect to said upper support assembly in a plurality of discrete relative positions.

9. A table unit adapted to be mounted on a horizontal frame member of a bed, comprising a first universal coupling, first mounting means for securing said first coupling on said bed frame, a second universal coupling, second mounting means operatively connecting said second coupling with said first coupling in spaced positions, said first coupling being operable to rotate said second coupling in mutually perpendicular horizontal and vertical planes on axes both perpendicular to said frame member of the bed, a table top, and third mounting securing said table top to said second coupling for rotation in mutually perpendicular other planes respectively parallel and perpendicu lar to the table top.

10. A table unit as defined in claim 9, wherein said second mounting means comprises telescoping means for varying the spacing between the first and second couplings.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 108-49 

